Spring came when I wasn't looking!

Spring is all over outside!!

I have watched and watched and then it snuck up on me!!

I have seen daffodils in bloom in many places. (Not my yard)

I have seen pansies all over. (Not my yard)

I have seen tulip shoots ready to bloom. (My Becky tulips are growing but no buds yet.)

I have pussy willows in MY YARD!

I have seen primroses. (Inside my House, not in my yard yet)

I was at Temple square a couple of days ago and it was Spring heaven. It was beautiful as always but for the first Spring showing it was fabulous. It was the sure sign I have seen that Spring is here!!

Since I didn't have my camera when I was in Spring heaven I have inserted my Spring here!!

Look what I found in MY YARD when I went to get the mail today!!!!!!!

Libraries: A Four Generation Treasure

I am reminded of when Spencer came home from his mission in November 2010.

He was acclimating to being home. He would borrow my car, my credit card and my library card.

I went with him to the library for something on one of the first weeks he was home and he made the comment on our way there "Did I know how cool the library is, that he is a real fan of libraries."

Well it was a surprise to me, to hear him say that, and then I realized on his mission it was at libraries that he could use the computers to write home. So he had a real history with libraries.

I started thinking about libraries after posting my last post.

I too love a library. One learns in college to love a library I think. I used to love in our early married days to visit the library with the kids. They would all choose books to bring home and treasure for a few weeks. We would go back and find new treasure repeatedly. If I remember we had little bags to put our books in.

I have many memories of visiting the library before the home computer for many a project and report for the kids. Or to pick up the English reading assigned book.

I too love to go to the library. When the children were young and funds were tight. I would treat myself with timeout at the library. I would love and scour and devour their magazines. The variety was endless and intoxicating to me.

Recently my Dad was in town for a funeral I picked him up at the airport with time to spare, so we visited and drove through old neighborhoods of ours. It was a delightful time together. One place we passed was the Holiday library. I was reminded as he was, how he used to visit the library to read magazines. (that is the first time I ever realized I did that same thing too, visit libraries to read magazines!)

Well Mom has always loved books and libraries and I have no doubt that her Mom; Grammy, passed that love of libraries on, with all her genealogy work she loved to do.

How cool is that four generations of library lovers.(At least) (I remember hearing that the Clark's for many generations valued education highly. With all the orphaned children of Margaret and Riley's I think it may have been 5 or 6 of their 10 children that became physicians, I am sure a library was treasured or would that have been before libraries were a standard?)

In Pleasant Grove where we lived when Russ and I were first married and he was getting his MBA from BYU, we had around the block the most charming library housed in the most charming historical home. It was not a big library nor a well stocked library but it was close and charming.

In Michigan our library was our wonderful friend with story time, and its walking distance from our home and its delightfully decorated children's rooms.( I have forgotten all about these libraries until I have been writing here.)

I wish I had photos.

The closest to the fun library children's rooms that our Michigan library had is the SLC library. Aren't their children's rooms ever cool?!

The downtown library (SLC) also has the most delicious cafe' desserts!!

Now I can't forget the book mobiles!!! Oh how the kids loved those. It would park on Nicholls  Rd. once a week or was it every other week, one certain day a week.

What a treasure we have in this country in our libraries. Okay I better stop there!!

School Marm

A couple of years ago I was down at the SLC Library during a time they were hosting a week highlighting Degas' Work.

I went down to the library to see the works they had and I fell in love with this school girl.

Degas is known for his Ballerinas and they are charming both in his oils of them and his few sculpted pieces but that day what I fell in love with was this school girl I had never seen before. I didn't even know she existed. I think she may be one of his only works that are not ballerinas.

Anyway I mentioned to Heidi and Anna how much I loved her.

Well a treasured gift is a surprise and something very thoughtful. These cute girls gave the school girl to me for one of my Birthday's or Mother's day I don't remember which, but I have treasured her ever since.

I love seeing her in the family room every time I look on the shelf!    Isn't she charming!!!!

Laugh don't Cry

I sure had fun tending R&L's children last week.

I posted a couple of posts about our week. Should one think it was all photo shoots and parties, I'll be honest here.

I know why it is good to have children when you are young. You have more energy, your mind is quicker, you might then even be smarter than your kids.

We had a great time together, Kate, Abby, Carson & myself.

Even when:

 I was glad for patience when the salsa fell from the fridge to splash all over the floor. Patience is something  being a lot of years old is good for. I now know not to waste energy on some of the small stuff like salsa on the floor.

I could laugh when next, the pancake batter I was making flipped off my single beater and egg, egg yolk flour and milk where flung across my kitchen, and all over me.  Again love the patience learned thing. Some things aren't worth a reaction.. too much energy spent... just get those rags and cover the mess till it dries, clean it up then with a wet rag and foot motion! Change your clothes.

Now when I was summoned from my shower with the knock and little voice telling me Carson had something on his socks. Something dark. I was at first skeptical it was anything that needed my quick attention... then the second knock, the dark stuff is not only on his socks but now all over his busy gym and spreading.

 They didn't think it was poop.

Well that comment makes one move quickly, It is now the funniest thing I remember experiencing in a long time.

Yes it was poop and yes it was all over..........  Of course Carson had already had his bath for the day. And yes I had dressed after my shower in nice clothes, by the time I was done rebathing Carson, I too needed a clothes change and for lack of" know how" to clean up such a mess just took that busy gym and put it in the carport, bagged up all the moveable item that had dark stuff on them for the trash, no some things you just don't wash!!!

Well my respect for young mothers is HUGE!!!

My advise for young mothers is: to laugh is so much better than to cry!!! Laughing is just so much more fun! And yes everything is funny when you are rested!!!!

My other advice is: love every minute of it... they are so worth it!!!!

I loved every minute of last week!! Thanks for letting us watch those little ones.

Another Birthday Shared

They shared another Birthday!!!

BIRTHDAY GIRLS

                                         HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE BIRTHDAY GIRLS

IT IS PRETTY FUN TO BE BIRTHDAY BUDDIES!!!!!!!

Grammy's Hats

 Becky come today to photograph the girls in their Great Great Grandma's hats.

They did not know Grammy as we called her. They now know she was Oma's Mom.

I showed the girls a picture I have of Grammy.

 She even has a hat on in the photo. But of the 26 hats we have, the hat she has on in the photo is not one of these. So.... Grammy had even more hats.

We had so much fun!!
 I have a slide show of the day that is priceless.( Thanks Becky! )
Do you think Grammy got to see her great great Granddaughters have such a fun time in her hats???
I would like to think she did!!

Grammy you have some pretty cute Great Great Granddaughters!! And these are only a few of them!!!

Morning Hair

You've gotta love the morning hair!

Sweet Anna

Anna is the favorite Aunt!

Photo Shoot

I have once again been intrigued this week by how much children mimic what they see and what they experience.

I am tending Kate & Abby & Carson for the week. They are absolutely delightful.

Today they baptized some of their babies!
They had a photo shoot of Carson!
They picked up the dog poop in the yard with the poop er scooper!
They dressed their babies in maids dresses.

I couldn't help but join in the fun of the photo shoot. Kate had her camera out, Grandma had hers out too. Do you see the prop Kate has in her arms to attract Carson? ( She thinks of everything!)

I try not to post faces but who could resist!!!!!

Life is so simple

Abby and Kate joined me at church on Sunday. I must say they were well behaved after having already attending church with Connor and Mabel they agreed to come to Sacrament with me too.

I loved having them on my bench with me. Two of the cutest girls in the ward as well as the smartest!

Abby (who is 3)  pulls out my coin purse from my purse,
 " Is this your money Grandma?" Is this all your money Grandma?" "Yes"

"You need to get more money!"

Life is so simple!!!

PRIMROSE

Is that not exquisite!!!

Those little yellow centers just shine Happy Happy Happy!

Night Owl

It has been several times of late that I have enjoyed being a night owl.

The dishwasher is going, everyone has gone to sleep. Zoe is outside in her cage. And I am up all alone.

I have just had a midnight snack,
I made homemade rolls today, usually I like artisan bread with my green olives and cheese.

I didn't have artisan bread but the rolls were yummy, the green olives yummy and I just needed some cheese to make my all time favorite snack.

My diet would have suffered more if I had cheese. It has already been assaulted with the homemade bread and the midnight hour!

My Cup Runneth Over.

Years ago I was able to join Russ on a business trip to Phoenix.

It was a time in my life that I felt like I really needed a vacation. Nate had battled cancer for almost 2 years. He needed one more dose of his chemotherapy. Russ had this business trip on his schedule and I so wanted to join him.

We postponed Nate's last treatment so I could join Russ.

I remember the hotel had complimentary breakfast. Russ left for work but called back to the room to let me know breakfast was served until a certain time.  I remember I could have cared less about breakfast, I just wanted to sleep!! All by myself with no schedule.

It was a great trip, even restful I remember.

We went to antique stores one night. All we could afford in the stores was this small silver cup. I think it was $5.00.  We bought the silver cup.

 I remember the flood of feeling I had that this cup represented: "MY CUP RUNNETH OVER"
We were so grateful to have the end of Nate's treatment in sight, the emotional rollercoaster almost over. And it appeared we had a healthy boy again!!

This silver cup is displayed in a cabinet in the living room. Everytime I see it I am flooded with the same feelings, I had the day we bought it.

Sold

I sold a painting in my Etsy shop today..

I have mixed feelings. I agree with someone who said:
"Handmade is like giving life to an object. When you create something, it owns a piece of your soul, a piece of your feelings and your taste."

I sent off a piece of my soul when I mailed off "Two Pears on Pewter".

Overcast With A Touch of Rain

Today is not a sunny day. Today does not have many bright colors. Today's world outside is a monotone.

Now that kind of day can have real beauty. Perhaps beauty that must be looked for. Perhaps a different kind of beauty than the sunny day.

Some of that beauty must come from something other than color, since color it is lacking.

There is plenty of beauty in the texture of the world outside  today.

Perhaps the color of today comes from the fireplace smoke I can smell of wood burning.

The coolness of the raindrops on my skin.

The drama of the clouds.

The freshness of the air.

The stillness of the rain.

So today's color I cannot see as color. Today has color I can smell. Today has color in texture.

Today even has color in sound. 

I have found adding inside elements adds color to the day.
Music. I have on music. My music has color. My lights have color. My atmosphere I have created has color.



             Color is lacking in the photos I have seen of Japan with its earthquake devastation.
                                                       Devastation does not have color.
                                                           Devastation is monotone.

                                                  Perhaps they will have color with a smile.
                                                  They will have color with a helping hand.
                                                 Perhaps they will have color with a prayer.


I hope the Japanese experience color even if they can't see it.
 Because it is overcast in Japan. I will pray for them to have color.